The Bonce House
by defineclumsy
Summary: Bella is an awkward high school girl at her friend's birthday party. When a drunken bet and a little wrestling meet Edward Cullen, what is he to do with Bella Swan's quirky personality?
1. Blacklights and Bounce Houses

I sat uncomfortably at the party. I was a homebody and the black light and thumping music was not my scene. But I was here nonetheless. I kept Angela's advice in mind and did not let anxiety and awkwardness show. The wicker couch dug into my skin where the tank top and shorts did not cover. It was hot and humid on the deck and four people squeezed onto the couch along with me. It dipped under the combined pressure, clearly not used to this multitude of people. I sympathized with the poor thing as a drink spilled onto my legs. I grimaced at the perpetrator. Ugh it was Jacob.  
>Jacob and I had been best friends for the last two years when I moved in with my dad from Phoenix. Jake was there for me with everything. Bad test grade, jerk guys, mean girls, you name it; I called Jake. Of course the whole school assumed we were dating or destined to be together. Jake and I would have sleepovers and talk on the phone until one of us fell asleep. Although, that all changed this summer. Jake used to be a pudgy baby-faced kid that was friendly enough to be well liked. Over the summer, he transformed into this tall, built man that had girls swooning. Soon my innocent Jacob became the arrogant, narcissistic Jake that couldn't even look me in the eyes. He had decided that he was too cool for me and ran off to be best friends with Jessica instead.<br>Jessica moved to Forks at about the same time as me. She has always been more popular than I have been. She is athletic and attractive rolled into one. Her large breasts caught the attention of almost every guy at our high school. I always stood smiling in her shadow. That girl who was always be overlooked when in proximity to Jessica. Thinking of this, I self-consciously glanced down at my a-cup boobs. They tried so hard, but even in my Victoria's Secret push-up bra, there wasn't even a hint of cleavage. I wasn't surprised; half the football team had larger breasts than me. My attention returned to Jessica and Jake as I saw them walk back toward the keg, presumably to get Jake a new drink. I was not disappointed in my assumption. They leaned in closer, giggling and throwing a glance to someone over their shoulders.  
>I moved to go find some napkins, the chief would not be pleased if I came home smelling like stale beer. I didn't drink and Charlie knew that, but he was quick to jump to the worst case scenario. Charlie didn't like surprises. So I wiped my legs off with some sketchy looking paper towel and hoped for the best. This was actually Jessica's party for her 18th birthday. The first of all the seniors. To kick it off, she had rented a giant bounce house, decorated it in black lights, neon, and blasted rave music.<br>Angela, my only friend at Forks high now, motioned for me to follow her to the bounce house. I raised a brow. Me? In the most unstable surface on earth. My coordination on flat ground was questionable at best, at worst, hazardous to myself and those around me. Angela just grabbed my hand and dragged me through the opening. It was humid as all hell and similarly as hot. Sweat started beading on my forehead immediately. The hair I had worked so hard to straighten reverted back to its wild mess of curls. Angela started to bounce while holding my hand. I had no choice but to go ahead with her. The bounce house was significantly less crowded than the deck and I had no doubt the heat was a key part of it. We bounced for a while, letting the endorphins work themselves into our body as we panted for breath, glow sticks moving up and down with us. Soon I began to forget the world outside this hot house and the crowd that lurked surrounding the keg. Angela and I were hanging out just like and weekend. Laughing and swearing and joking. She knew exactly how to cheer me up; soon I was thoroughly enjoying Jessica's party- Jake or no Jake.  
>Eventually out solitude was disrupted by a group of people entering in. Angela and I moved to sit on the wall that leads to the slide portion of the bouncy house. Jessica came in with a serious look on her face and sat at the bottom of the slide, surrounded by people. Jake was close behind like a protective watchdog. I knew that look. The one that dared anyone to hurt her. I remember when he used it to protect me. Angela sensed my shift in mood and distracted me by pointing out some guys that came in after them. It was Mike and some guys I didn't recognize. Mike and Jessica dated for a while before high school, but remained close friends, often getting high together on weekends. Mike was always a good laugh, especially when buzzed.<br>"Hey, Bella!" Mike shouted in greeting, the only way to hear above the noise. "Bella c'mere"  
>Rolling my eyes I hopped off the wall onto the cushy floor. Mike looped his arm over my shoulders.<br>"Bella. I bet... I dare you to wrestle me. Two out of three." Mike enthusiastically shook me a little.  
>Now I am not a small person, but I'm not that big either. I'm 5'5" and about 130 pounds. Mike was easily a foot taller and 70 pounds heavier. Even drunk I wouldn't stand a chance. But I love a challenge and there nothing more fun than a harmless wrestling match. In Phoenix, I hung out with mostly guys. We played video games and fought a lot. My dad always encouraged me to be as tough as any guy. And despite being clumsy, I worked out daily and was almost all muscle.<br>"Alright, Newton. Whatever you want" I smile pleasantly and we began circling each other, crouched and ready to spring.  
>Mike stopped suddenly and stood upright. "We need a referee. Otherwise Bella may end up hurt." Mike declared loudly. I grinned and rolled my eyes, ready to start. I knew I would lose, but I was ready to put up a fight. "You, sir!" Mike pointed at the guy he came in with. "Eddy, buddy, we need you to ref. c'mon" mike looked at Eddy. He sighed heavily, but smiled with a mouth of dazzling teeth and whooped. Mike turned back to me with a glint in his eyes.<br>Quickly he screamed "sneak attack" and threw glow sticks at me before lunging. I smirked knowing his obvious ways were to be comically and I jumped up and forward. Our bodies collided in a mess of appendages. The breath was knocked from my lungs as we crashed heavily onto the unstable floor, now slippery with sweat and a light drizzle that had just stared,


	2. The Fight

Quickly he screamed "sneak attack" and threw glow sticks at me before lunging. I smirked knowing his obvious ways were to be comically and I jumped up and forward. Our bodies collided in a mess of appendages. The breath was knocked from my lungs as we crashed heavily onto the unstable floor, now slippery with sweat and a light drizzle that had just stared.

I gasped trying to catch my breath. Mike scrambled above me and jokingly thrust his hips in an overly sexual way. I exaggerated a gag in turn.

A laugh burst from the wall. Eddy was eyeing Mike with a stupid grin on his face. This must have been intention; a drunk wager between the two. My cheeks flamed, a rose color creeping up my cheeks to my ears. I was not giving up the fight though. I used Mike distraction to my advantage. I sprung up and shoved him over, using my bodyweight to keep his shoulders down.

"One…" Eddy said between fits of giggles, "two… three! The little sheep defeats the lion" Eddy crowed again. I had to admit, his crooked smile was pretty hot. "I challenge the girl" Eddy found his composure. Instantly his features changed into something more feral. I cringed.

I don't like strangers touching me. Maybe it is one of those lessons Charlie subconsciously imparted onto me through all those summers, but the thought alone makes me feel like I need to find my pepper spray –that ever-present bottle in the glove box of my old pickup. But Eddy was hot. I couldn't deny that. And I couldn't help but feel my racing heart flutter when the met his copper eyes. Still, I hardly knew the guy, and I could smell the vodka on his breath from here.

It was then that I realized here was only a foot from his eyes and lips. While entranced in my reverie, Eddy had come up to me. I was staring, too.

"Like what you see?" Eddy's eyes twinkled mischievously, but they still glinted with the trace of a hunter sizing up his prey. They looked black. Despite his appearance, that phrase had the power to piss me the fuck off.

Those were the words Jake had said to me when I had found myself gaping at his new body at La Push three months ago. I did, but that alerted me to the awful personality he had developed. Jake only smirked at my blush. That day was the beginning of the end of our friendship.

Looking back at Eddy, I let the hatred blur my vision. "Just watch your back, Eddy. I'm tougher than I look." I clenched my teeth. I heard Mike's breath in the distance, still giggling, obtuse to my change in mood.

Eddy sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. The crooked smile returned. "I can see that. Mike looks positively ravaged by your ferocity. I'm looking forward to being the object of your pent-up tensions." Edward winked, obvious as ever. What. A. Douche. "It's Edward by the way." And he held out his hand.

I looked at his arm, veins straining against muscle beneath tight pale skin. So similar to Jake, but the perfect contrast as well… I contemplated that hand before I shook it.

We circled each other, sizing and calculating. Edward was in a slight crouch in the perfect boxing stance. I sat casually on my heels. Thinking. Edward faked to the left. I sprung up, colliding with his massive shoulder. It felt like rock. I fell backward, rolling over into the wall of the bounce house. Edward let out a short laugh. "HA!" Of course I attacked him and only hurt myself. Edward faked right again, but this time I went right with him. That was a mistake. I was directly in front of him. Within seconds I was on the ground, struggling against the weight of Edward.

To be honest, it felt good to feel his body pressed lengthwise above me. I had never had a boyfriend, only three uncomfortable kisses, and five incredibly unsuccessful dates. This was the most contact I had ever had with a boy my age… ever.

I reached up to push against his biceps as he held me down. "Come on, Bella. You can do more than that surely. I know Mike's a pussy and all, but you beat him way to easily for you to lose so quickly." Edward whispered into my ear. His breath was somehow cool against the night. It sent shivers down my spine and I didn't want him to stop talking.

Then I heard Mike, "one… two…" It was lazy the way he said it. Like my defeat was inevitable.

I pulled Edward closer and then rolled us over so that I would be on top. He was cute from this angle as well. His gold hair was messed up in an "I-just-had-awesome-sex" look. He looked up at me again. Shit. I was caught staring again. Edward launched me up into the air due to my lapse in focus. I landed on the slippery floor and scrambled to find purchase for my feet. The air went out of me suddenly as Edward sat on my upper back. "One. Two. Three" came from the wall. Fucking Mike.

Edward got off me and helped me up. "Good job." He smiled a mouth full of dazzling teeth.

"Thanks," I was blushing again. The wall had about six people, way more than my comfort of spectators. I turned to walk out of the bounce house. It had suddenly become too hot and humid for me to breath. But, because people were looking at me (one more attractive than the rest) I slipped and fell on my ass. Edward stifled a chuckle as he helped me up and out of the bounce house.


	3. After Party

**Author's note: so I think these are pretty dumb. Like actually I hate myself for saying this because I feel like a poser and an attention whore but legit: this is my first fanfiction. I would appreciate feedback from anyone that would like to grace me with his or her opinions. thanks. that's all. **

The night air was much cooler than the bounce house. Edward walked me to the cooler there I found god. I reached in the ice water and pulled out a Diet Coke. Edward raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Yes, I'm well aware it causes cancer, but so does living in a city or using plastic in a hot car. At least I'll be happy.

Edward Cullen- I learned his full name- was exactly what a gentleman should be. He opened doors for me, and got me a new can of unopened Diet Coke after I had finished mine. I flushed scarlet and batted my eyelashes, my lame and inept attempt at flirting.

I watched as his hand ran through those copper tangles of windblown hair. It was much too perfect to have just been wrestling with me.

Edward told me about his brothers and sisters. They were all adopted by the famous Carlisle Cullen. Carlisle and Charlie had worked together with victims of various crimes and Charlie help and unwavering respect for him. His wife, Esme, was the Martha Stewart/ Betty Crocker of Forks. Anyone that had been to school in the last year could name at least one thing Mrs. Cullen had signed up for. She was the official dance planner, football, cheerleader mom. As I talked to him, I began piecing together all the amazing things that made Edward Cullen- star quarterback, loving brother, loyal friend- into a real human being: tangible, opaque, sturdy.

But much like Cinderella, my ball had come to a close. It was almost eleven pm. The party was getting loud and rowdy. Charlie or his friends would be called due to a noise complaint. This place will be busted, and my ass grounded if he saw me here (sober or not). So I told Edward I had to get home and go to bed. He smiled and asked me to stay. For a moment I considered. Edward, a cute boy that could actually be interested in me, was asking me to stay with him even if it was only for a few hours.

Just then Tanya and her posse walked through the gaping front door. To say that they were similar to the Plastics in mean girls would be giving them too much credit. They came from regular homes and were popular because everyone believed they were. And what is popularity if not the ability to control what others thought of you? Tanya was not a nice girl. She had bleach blonde hair and a knife-like tongue; it was sharp and powerful. Tanya walked with an air of confidence limited to only people with the ego needed to think they are a god on earth. She was like the Kanye West of Forks; rich and conceited. Tanya hated me. She was smart. But when I came to Forks High, I quickly became a teacher favorite due to my quiet nature and ability to tailor my answers to please every requirement expected. What can I say? When you don't like attention, you don't draw it to you by failing the class. And yet Tanya hated competition and fiercely attacked people that threatened her position.

So as she walked through the door, glamorously followed by her platinum-haired minions, I squeezed myself against the wall and scooted out.

I shut the door of my truck with enough force to shake off some rusted off paint. I plugged my phone into the audio jack (my only demand was to buy a new radio with a place for my phone to play music). As my car revved to life, the spoken poetry of a local band drifted calmly from one speaker (the other was busted).

I drove home with a giddy smile, thinking about my conversation with Edward. I crawled into my bed, music now filling my ears from the over-the-ear headphones, dissecting every word he said to me.

One thing was clear: I had flirted with a guy, and he responded (positively- an important distinction).


End file.
